May 24, 2012
WSGC Newsletter for Educators
Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium's electronic newsletter for teachers provides curriculum ideas, Internet links and other resources to help you better meet the Washington EALRs and the National Science Education Standards.TABLE OF CONTENTS
-- SEATTLE SCIENCE FESTIVAL (K-12)
-- THREE NEW NASA MATH GUIDES (3-12)
-- SUMMER SCIENCE CURRICULUMS (4-9)
-- TRANSIT OF VENUS 6/5
-- AMERICAN LANDSCAPE CONTEST
Throughout the month of June celebrate science as Seattle hosts the area's first science festival, taking place at sites around the city. Over 200 events and activities are planned for the first ever Seattle Science Festival and the majority of these are free.
Participants may join a star party or learn to print in 3D. In addition to the free Science EXPO Day at Seattle Center, there will be a computer programming symposium for teachers and students, a Robothon, a Rubik's Cube competition and teacher workshop, a mini maker faire, and the Science Luminaries lecture series headlined by some of the greatest scientific and creative minds in the world, including Stephen Hawking.
A South Lake Union Science Trek takes participants on a journey through the diverse areas of science underlying global health, modern biology, cancer research, health and wellness, and even sailing. Activities are geared toward elementary & middle school students in the morning and high school students in the afternoon, and align with Washington State educational standards for science and math.
For general information on other activities, visit
For information on field trips and other educator resources, go to
The NASA website is offering three new educator guides focused on mathematics. Each word problem includes background information and teachers' answer keys.
Remote Sensing Math for grades 3-12 is a complete study for remote sensing and mathematical models. The problems can be used to enhance understanding of the mathematical concept or as an assessment of student mastery. To download the guide, go to
To download Remote Sensing Math, go to
Space Math VII for grades 3-12 and Astrobiology Math for grades 6-12 are collections of activities that provide students with additional challenges in mathematics and physical science. The math problems deal with modern science and engineering issues, often involving actual research data.
To download Space Math VII, go to
To download Astrobiology Math, go to
NASA education specialists have developed four thematic units of NASA content to help make summer programming exciting and meaningful. Themed camps provide examples of one-day, two-day and week-long programs. Each day contains six to eight hours of activities totaling more than 35 hours of instructional time.
The camp template will help educators develop an appropriate learning progression that focuses on the concepts necessary to engage in learning. The activities and experiences in the guides come from NASA's vast collection of educational materials.
For more information, visit
On June 5, the Sun-Earth Day and NASA EDGE Teams will bring the Transit of Venus to the world from the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. During a live webcast, the transit will be shown in high definition video. Coverage will consist of video of the transit, interviews with scientists and Native Hawaiians, and question and answer sessions.
The Transit of Venus is among the rarest astronomical phenomena and won't happen again until the year 2117. Resources are available on the website for use in museum events and classroom participation, including videos providing cultural and historical information about the transit. For more information, visit
AMERICAN LANDSCAPE CONTEST
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Landsat Earth-observing program, NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey are holding a contest that will offer six winners customized satellite views of changing local landscapes.
Participants must be U.S. citizens. Submissions are due June 6. For complete information, go to
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